1S6 Physical Geography of 



its rise, and its outlet, after uniting with the outlet of the Mueller 

 glacier, forms one of the principal tributaries of the Tasman river. 

 The last mentioned glacier is formed from the neve fields on the 

 eastern slopes of the Sefton Peak. The western snow-fields of this 

 magnificent range, of which Mr. Sealy's photograph gives a fine repre- 

 sentation, form the glacier sources of the southern branches of the 

 Weheka and of the northern branches of the Karangarua, the southern 

 declivities form in g the Selwyn glacier at the head of the Dobson river 

 and the north-western feeder of the Eickardson glacier, the main 

 source of the river Hopkins. Here a deep depression occurs, separating 

 the Moorhouse range from Mount Holmes, a fine pyramidical mountain 

 possessing large snow-fields on its slopes. 



As before observed, from this peak the Southern Alps divide into 

 two distinct chains, of which the western one runs in a nearly western 

 direction to Mount Hooker ; thence re-assuming the usual north-east 

 and south-west line, as the G-rey ranges, it reaches the lower course of 

 the Eiver Haast, which here cuts through this bifurcation of the central 

 chain. On the southern banks of that river, it rises again above the 

 perpetual snow-line till in Mount Kinross and to the west of Haast's 

 Pass the two ranges re-unite. The eastern chain, forming the water- 

 shed between the Eiver Hopkins and the Eiver Haast, is also of con- 

 siderable altitude, numerous glaciers descending from it. First as the 

 Eitter range, and afterwards as Mount "Ward, Mount Xapoleon and 

 Mount Brewster on the eastern side of Haast's Pass, it rises high above 

 the snow- line and has some peculiar, charming features, its lower 

 portion being mostly covered with fine beech forest. 



On the south-eastern slopes, the glacier sources of the Eiver Hunter 

 forming Lake Hawea, are situated. In the basin thus formed between 

 this bifurcation, all the main branches of the Eiver Haast take their rise : 

 the principal one, the Landsborough, draining the vast snow-fields of 

 Mount "Ward, as well as those of the Eitter range. Between Mount 

 Cotta and Mount Hooker, Docherty's Pass, about 5000 feet high, at the 

 head of the Clarke river, is situated, discovered by Mr. W. Docherty in 

 IS 64, and by which the explorer can descend to the sources of the 

 Mahitaki river, and thus reach Bruce Bay. The western drainage of 

 Mount Holmes and Mount Cotta is by the southern branches of the 

 Karangarua. In the first part, I have already alluded to the principal 

 characteristics of Haast's Pass (1716 feet above the sea-level), doubtless 

 the lowest Pass across the Southern Alps throughout the whole Island. 



